Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Rotary Club President Arrested for DUI

John Coats, president of the Memphis Rotary Club, was arrested for a DUI at a Midtown Walgreens just after midnight Saturday morning.

According to the affidavit, Memphis police responded to a DUI call after the Walgreens manager reported that a man was sleeping in the driver's seat of a car parked in the lot. When officers arrived, Coats was revving the car's accelerator at a high RPM, and it appeared he'd fallen asleep with his foot fully depressing the pedal.

Coats initially refused to step out of the vehicle after he was awakened. But after repeated requests, he stepped out and nearly fell. Officers had to hold him up, and they reported smelling a strong presence of alcohol and noticed he had bloodshot eyes.

When asked if he'd been drinking, he replied that he had, and he made repeated requests to call Mayor A C Wharton. When asked to perform a field sobriety test, Coats replied "I am gonna fail. Just book me." Coats refused a blood alcohol test. He was then arrested and charged with DUI, public intoxication, and reckless driving.

The Memphis Rotary Club is currently conducting an evaluation of Memphis Animal Services.